When we think about fitness, most of us picture heavy lifts, sweat-inducing cardio, and pushing our limits. But what about the moments between those intense workouts? Flexibility and mobility are just as important to your overall fitness and well-being, and they often get overlooked. At our gym, we know how crucial it is to balance “hot” sessions—like strength training and cardio—with “cold” sessions focused on flexibility, mobility, and recovery.
That’s why we run our popular Mobility & Core Class every Sunday at 10:30 am, led by experienced Coach Naomi. Whether you’re a regular member or someone just looking to enhance your mobility, this class is designed to help you loosen up, improve your range of motion, and strengthen your core. And it’s the perfect complement to your strength training routine.
Why Flexibility and Mobility Matter
Strength training, particularly with heavy compound lifts like squats and deadlifts, is a fantastic way to build muscle and improve overall fitness. But while those lifts make you stronger, they can also make your muscles dense and stiff over time. If you don’t take the time to lengthen and loosen those muscles, you risk limited mobility, tightness, and potential injury.
Incorporating mobility work throughout the week is essential. It helps to prehab the body. Prehab, short for preventative rehabilitation, is a proactive approach to injury prevention. It focuses on strengthening isolated muscle groups to ensure all your muscles are fully functioning and activated during compound exercises. This helps to prevent future injuries by addressing potential problem areas before they become an issue.
For example, prehab exercises can target your groins, quads, glutes, hamstrings, and calves, ensuring these muscles are properly engaged when you perform heavy lifts. Incorporating this work is essential to activating and protecting your joints, keeping them healthy and strong.
In addition to prehab, doing foam rolling, stretching with bands, or a 10-minute yoga routine each day can go a long way. When done consistently over months or years, this simple commitment can transform your flexibility, reduce stiffness, and improve your overall mobility.
The Concept of Hot and Cold Sessions
I’ve borrowed this analogy from Dan John’s Little Black Book of Training Wisdom, where he categorises workouts into “hot” and “cold” sessions.
- Hot sessions refer to those intense workouts like strength training or high-intensity cardio, typically done 2 or 3 times per week.
- Cold sessions, on the other hand, are about recovery and maintaining flexibility. These involve activities like yoga, stretching, prehab, and light mobility work. Cold sessions are crucial for reducing stiffness, improving flexibility, and preparing the body for more intense workouts.
Personally, I still play competitive sport and currenlty as it is the off season I’m training for a charity 10K run, so my week balances between strength and cardio (hot sessions) and more frequent cold sessions focused on flexibility and mobility. For example, if I don’t start the day with yoga, I make sure to fit in a 10-minute stretch routine, covering all the major muscle groups. This quick routine is also something we introduce on our on-ramp programme, ensuring clients start with good habits.
This consistent mobility work fits into our ethos of feeling good daily. Two strength sessions a week alone aren’t enough to make you feel great all 7 days. Cold sessions help you feel loose, strong, and energised all week long.
The Importance of Core Strength and Mobility
One of the most important aspects of both flexibility and strength is having a strong core. Your core is involved in almost every movement you perform—whether it’s a compound lift like a squat or deadlift, or athletic movements like running, jumping, or rowing. A strong core provides stability, improves your balance, and protects your lower back from strain or injury.
Our Mobility & Core Class specifically focuses on building core strength while also improving flexibility. Each week, Coach Naomi leads you through movements designed to loosen your muscles and work your main joints through their full range of motion. The combination of mobility and core strength enhances your performance in strength training and helps prevent injuries by ensuring your body moves well and functions optimally.
Why Our Mobility & Core Class is Essential
Our Mobility & Core Class is designed to target these “cold” sessions. Every Sunday morning at 10:30 am, Coach Naomi leads a class that focuses on:
- Loosening your muscles so they’re nimble and flexible
- Strengthening your core, which plays a critical role in all compound lifts and athletic movements
- Improving your ability to move well through compound lifts like squats, deadlifts, and presses
- Working your main joints through their full range of motion for improved mobility and joint health
Each week, we introduce a different theme to keep the class fresh and exciting. It’s perfect for those who want to improve flexibility for better performance during strength training, or for anyone who wants to reduce muscle tightness and lower the risk of injury.
Our class is suitable for all members—whether you’re a PT client or part of our small group training programme, it’s free for you! If you’re a basic or non-member, you can still join for just £7, and it’s worth every penny. Simply download our free app to book your spot, but be quick—the class often books out early!
Ready to Loosen Up and Strengthen Your Core?
If you want to feel looser, improve your range of motion, and strengthen your core, make sure to join us for our Mobility & Core Class this Sunday at 10:30 am. It’s the perfect way to set yourself up for better performance in the gym and to keep your body feeling good all week.
To book your spot, simply log into our free app. If you’re not a member yet, book a no-sweat intro to see if we’re the right fit for you, or just email us to get an app invite and secure your place!
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